Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1887-08-05
District Nominations.

District Nominations.
Our article last week on o change
in making district nominations has
received the attention of number Of
leading republicans. All agree that
the discussion of the matter now is q
very proper one, and before a nomina'
ton comes on to be made in either
this Congressional or Senatorial dis
trict change in the old plan should
be made. As to the kind of change,
or rather as to which one of the only
two changes discussed is the best,
opinions differ. Some prefer the
popular vote as the simplest and,
taken altogether, as the best and
most Republican. Others, and per-
haps the greater number, prefer the
delegate system, based on the Repub-
lican vote of each county.
We have, therefore, been led to
look little further into the question,
and find our first impressions in re-
gard to a popular vote system rather
confirmed than otherwise, In the
counties composing our present Con-
gressional district, Beaver, Butler,
Lawrence and Mercer, we find the
following as the Republican vote OF
each at the last Presidential election,
which election it is generally agreed
would be the fair one to elect dele
gates upon in case the delegate sys-
tenn be the one chosen; to wit:
In Beaver county Blaine had 5,O75.
T" Butler 5,2l7.
&C. Lawrence 4,322.
=" Mercer &" 6,33l,
If 500 votes be taken as the rats, or
basis for distributing the number Of
delegates to each county the different
counties would have the following
number in q district convention, q
delegate being allowed for fraction
in county greater than one-half OF
the ratio, to wit:
Mercer Co. would have Is delegates.
Drx1or 6. GO IN 90
Beaver 10
Lawrence 9
This would make a district conven-
tion of AZ delegates. The one-half OF
this would be 2l. To nominate it
would therefore require but % votes
to be majority. 1t will be seen
that the votes of Mercer and Law
renee counties, thrown together,
would give the required majority ,aId
might make the nomination, while the
distr let existed over Beaver and But
ler counties. Two counties of the
district, the greater and the smaller
ones, thus combining could secure
the candidates. This would be un-
fair. But it might follow the dele.
gate plan. And we merely mention
it as one objection that can be urged
to that plan. There would be every
incentive for two counties to thus
combine and return favors in the way
of making the nominations. 1t would
be an easy matter to hold all the del
egates of certain of the counties to-
gether where such result could be
obtained. And such a result we
think would be avoided by direct
vote of the people for candidates. If
it be answered that practically the
larger county of district might reap
all the honors as well under the di.
rect or popular vote as under the DEL
egate system, we answer that that
would be far less likely to happen
than the combining of delegates.
The greater or stronger counties
would likely have more candidates
for the nominations than the weaker
or smaller ones. The opposition in
them to one particular man or candi-
date would likely be greater. No
one candidate could likely control or
secure all the votes of his county.
With county lines out of the way,
and the candidates of each county of q
district at liberty to enter into all the
counties for support, the strong prob
abilities are that each candidate
would receive some votes. This
would divide up the chances with
satisfactory result more proba BILE.
At all events, the voters OF the dis
trict would have done it. And what
they did at one nomination they from
all experience, might turn around and
refuse to do at the'yery next..one. The
principle Of fair play would have a
better chance and only man who
had been faithful member of Con
gress or the Senate or rendered bis
district great service would likely be
continued.
Another objection to the delegate
plan is where there are but two coun
ties in q district. In that case the
larger one would of course have the
advantage, which a popular vote o.
the two might not give it.
AS our object is to call attention te
this subject, which oil admit is an in
teresting one, we will be pleased tt
hear from any others, with theil
views in the matter.
Corn, Potatoes and Peaches
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